Through improvements of the approach and quality of reproductive health services, preventive health care plays an important role in preservation of public health.
Importance of prevention has been recognized by institutions and organizations from Montenegro that, with the support of EU funds, implemented the project CARES and CARES 2 (Cross-border action in the Reproductive Health Sector) with a view to improving the quality of preventive care in the reproductive health care sector. The projects in the value of 646,217.94 euros have been implemented within the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Montenegro – Kosovo.
In Montenegro, these projects were implemented by the nongovernmental organization Foundation for Development of the North of Montenegro (FORS Montenegro), with the view to contributing to raising awareness and improving approach and quality of reproductive health services in the programme areas, particularly among the socially vulnerable groups, while the partner from the Kosovo side was ECMI Kosovo – European Centre for Minority Rights.
In the period 2019 – 2023, through both projects, trainings were organized for medical staff, as well as purchase of valuable equipment for health centres in the municipalities of Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Gusinje, Petnjica, Plav, Kolašin, Mojkovac, Rožaje, Podgorica and Ulcinj. Colposcopes, ultra-sound devices, autoclaves, and cardiotocography were procured to be used in detecing and diagnosing cervical and breast cancer. In addition to this, a campaign of organized preventive screenings was organized within the project, and research was done about the level of information, knowledge and habits related to reproductive health among women in the target region.
500 preventive screenings free of charge were organized and conducted, as well as a cross-border conference about improvements of reproductive health care. Lectures dealing with this topic were organized in local communities and high-schools.
During the project implementation, the NGO FORS Montenegro emphasized the importance of education of citizens about how important it was to do regular preventive screenings with a view to prevent and fight breast and cervical cancer.
They emphasized that the preventive screenings ensure that some health conditions can be detected in time, which improves the course of treatment, and sometimes even saves human lives, while modern equipment facilitates the work of the medical staff and contributes to the improvements in diagnostic and treatment.
The fact is that, in the region, we are all faced with the same or similar challenges, not only in the field of health care but beyond. It is precisely the cross-border cooperation projects that ensure that we can overcome the problems by joining forces and by exchanging experience, knowledge and resources. They ensure that we can come up with the best solutions to the benefit of citizens.
Although the projects were finished at the end of 2023, the purchased equipment is still used, and the results of the projects are still visible. Through project implementation, the capacities of health centres have been improved, as well as the quality of services in the reproductive health sector in 12 Montenegrin municipalities. There is a visible improvement of approach and quality of reproductive health services for socially vulnerable groups, while the awareness about protection of reproductive health has been significantly raised, particularly among socially vulnerable groups.
By: Miloš Damjanović, Ministry of European Affairs
This text was published in the 17th issue of Eurokaz magazine.